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Why I Blog

Why do I blog? I think this past week shows why. Even though it’s been several days since my last blog post, blogging is about so much more than writing posts. It’s about being part of a community. Connecting with people. Realizing that there is a commonality among people of all different stripes.So even though I only had a few posts last week, it is the new blogs that I found and the connections I made that keep me blogging.

Last week was my first time participating in ICLW in a long time–probably since adopting my son over 18 months ago. And it seems like there is a whole new crop of people that I had the chance to get to know through their blogs. I first began blogging back in 2009. At that time, we were just at the beginning of our infertility journey–still hoping to get pregnant on our own. Like most people, I turned to “Dr Google” thinking I would get strictly medical advice, but my searches turned up an entire community of people going through the same thing. And I as read your stories, I not only saw myself and felt a connection, but read the comments and saw the thriving community that was there. These were not random trolling comments that you might see at the end of an online news article, but a real community that continued the conversation in the comments, on their own blogs, and even in person. So, truth be told, I started blogging because I wanted to get those comments and be part of that supportive community. The writing of the posts was secondary (I’ve never been one to keep a journal or feel the need to write for writing’s sake). Blogging, to me, has been about the connection to others.

And you guys did not disappoint! I feel like I’ve made some real friends through the blogs and online forums–even if I haven’t met you in person. Some of you have been on this journey with me almost from the start. Others have come and gone as our journeys have converged or diverged. For example, I think moving towards adoption has led to losing some connections who weren’t ready to follow me there, even as I’ve made new connections with other adoptive mamas.

I stopped blogging a few months after my son joined our family. This was right around the time he started “waking up” and it coincided with my return to work, both of which drastically reduced my time to blog. But even more I think was that it was also right around when I got a smartphone. When I transitioned from reading online to reading on my phone, it became much harder to comment. I was still reading all of your blogs, but was feeling more distant from the community since it was less convenient to participate in the community through commenting and continuing the conversation on my own blog.

Now that my son is a full-blown toddler, I am finding it easier to go back to somewhat of a “normal” life–even if that normal is completely different. Last fall, for example, finding time to take care of the fall gardening tasks and the baby was a real struggle. But we had a quite pleasant morning raking up leaves while the kid played in the backyard. In the same way, I’m finding more time for blogging again. And I wanted to re-connect with friends and make new ones. Rather than re-start at my old blog, I wanted a fresh start. There were several reasons for that, one of which is that (and I realize I may be risking losing part of my audience) is that I don’t think of infertility much these days. I do think about adoption and we are still trying to grow our family right now. But in terms of working through our infertility, I am in a very different place now and my old blog didn’t quite feel right anymore.

So, that’s why I blog. I look forward to hearing from others participating in the PAIL monthly theme about why they blog. I would also love to hear from others how they keep up with commenting and blogging with phones. Or do you still rely on your computer?

I have never done an ICLW in nearly two years. I have wanted to do one, and then get intimidated I suppose. I have such a hard time leaving comments on blogs I don’t “know”! I also suck at commenting on my phone, compose comments in my head, and then never seem to remember them when I finally sit down. It’s not ideal.